Bhopal: Framing climate change as an urgent and immediate threat to Indian agriculture, Madhya Pradesh’s Minister for Cooperation, Sports & Youth Welfare, Vishvas Kailash Sarang, on Wednesday made a clarion call for intensified awareness and collective action. Speaking at the Regional Policy Dialogue on Climate Change and Its Impact on Agriculture, Sarang highlighted the need to rally around Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of proactive climate discourse and responsibility-sharing. “Climate challenges confront us all. Everyone has a role, and now is the time to act,” he said.
The event, organised by Sustainability Matters in partnership with IndiAgri and Solidaridad, served as a platform for agricultural scientists, policy experts, industry leaders, and farmers to converge on a common goal: building a climate-resilient agricultural future for India.
Sarang affirmed the government’s commitment to supporting science-led dialogues and actionable outcomes. “Such gatherings are essential for shaping concrete steps and collaborative models. The state stands ready to engage and assist,” he said.
Chairing a session on climate-resilient agriculture, Dr Suresh Motwani, General Manager, Solidaridad, stressed that true resilience begins at the farm but must be supported by innovation and integrated policy. “Agriculture today is not just about production—it is about protection of ecosystems, livelihoods, and food security,” he said.
Key discussions advocated a shift from water-intensive farming to sustainable practices such as micro-irrigation, watershed development, and decentralised water governance. Experts called for institutional frameworks that combine traditional farmer knowledge with evolving climate science and urged greater inclusion of farmer voices in climate planning.
Dr Navneet Anand, Executive Director of Sustainability Matters and Director of GreyMatters Communications, termed the dialogue as a bridge between academia and policy. “We must move from climate anxiety to climate action. With its agrarian depth and readiness to adapt, Madhya Pradesh is positioned to lead. This platform connects science, soil, statecraft, and sustainability,” he noted.
Dr Bhaskar Sinha, Chairperson of the Centre for Climate Change Studies at the Indian Institute of Forest Management, highlighted the need for sensitising legislators and introducing robust monitoring systems for government schemes addressing climate change.
The Dialogue featured two thematic panel discussions with participation from over a dozen experts, including representatives from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The day concluded with the Sustainability Awards 2025 , celebrating pathbreaking contributions across India’s agricultural landscape.
Eight award categories recognised individuals and organisations making tangible impact. The Soil Health Champion award went jointly to the Nico Roozen Center of Excellence for Regenerative Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar, which also won honours for Climate-Smart Agriculture and Water Conservation .
Agri Acres was named AgTech Startup of the Year , while Dilip Dhakad received the Young Agripreneur Award for his innovative bee-keeping enterprise, D-Malwa. The Community-Led Agriculture Sustainability Award was conferred on the Bharatkhand Consortium of Farmer Producer Company Ltd .
Progressive Farmer recognitions were awarded to Shivendra Singh Rajput (village Badher), Sanjana Bamaniya (village Dhankhedi, Sehore), and Prem Singh (village Bheelkheda, Vidisha) for their pioneering efforts in climate-smart farming.
The Bhopal Dialogue is part of a national series that will next travel to Chandigarh, Patna, and Guwahati, with the aim of building a regionally nuanced and inclusive climate action framework for Indian agriculture.
BI Bureau
